As a member of the Kansas House, Caryn Tyson applauded the recent Legislature’s massive tax cut plan and said, “We passed tax relief for all Kansans. We’ll all enjoy it.”
Tyson, R-Parker, is running for the Kansas Senate. John Coen, Ottawa, is her opponent.
The pair spoke Saturday at a candidate forum in Iola, hosted by Allen County Farm Bureau.
When Brian Pekarek, USD 257 superintendent of schools, queried Tyson as to the feasibility of a budget on track to plunge the state $2.5 billion in debt over the next five years, Tyson appeared nonplussed.
“There’s one year before these changes are implemented, so there’s time to make changes,” she said.
Tyson was quick to lay blame on this year’s protracted session at the foot of the Kansas Senate.
“There were a lot of bottlenecks in the Senate this year,” she said.
Tyson said she comes from a family “where a handshake is a contract.” She and her husband Tim own Tyson Ranch. She is a software engineer.
She was elected to the House in 2010.
Tyson’s votes fall in line with the conservative branch of Republicans. She supported concealed carry of weapons in public buildings, reducing benefits for the unemployed and unemployment insurance contributions, and was against allowing undocumented immigrants who want to attend Kansas universities to receive in-state tuition.
THOUGH HE’S never served in public office, John Coen, Ottawa, is familiar with the territory. Coen worked in the offices of Sens. Derek Schmidt and then Steve Morris.
He is in the Kansas Senate District No. 12 race against Caryn Tyson.
Today, Coen has worked as a loan officer at a bank in Ottawa for the past two years.
The bulk of his career, however, has been spent as a dairy farmer, carrying on his family’s tradition.
“We were paying our bills, but not making a living,” Coen said of the competitive market.
“Someone asked me what I knew about loaning money,” he said. “Well, I borrowed money for 30 years.”
